Atiki is a physical freak. he s a chiseled -foot- and has aristocratic athleticism and measurables. BYU had a combine in early October, and a supply near Atiki informed me that he measured with a -bottom-three wingspan, -bottom- continuing attain, and forty inch vertical start. BYU doesn’t get athletes like that often, if ever.
Atiki is raw and BYU lovers will deserve to be patient with him. He grew up in Tanzania went to London Basketball Academy in Canada all over excessive college. He didn’t play towards remarkable competitors and his chief year changed into virtually cancelled because of COVID-.
He has already experienced massive increase the remaining few months beneath Chris burgess, but he is nevertheless learning the online game of basketball. Atiki will get taking part in time on account that BYU doesn’t have awesome size on the agenda, but we may additionally no longer see a true actual influence except WCC comedy.
regardless, BYU enthusiasts should still be patient however have excessive hopes for Atiki as they alteration to the big . there is a purpose he had scholarship offers from faculties comparable to Oklahoma, West Virginia and San Diego accompaniment and become getting looked at via Baylor and battle. He absolutely has the equipment to be BYU’s beginning center in – years and matchup with one of the most gold standard front courtroom avid gamers in the country back BYU receives to the large .
I are trying no longer to be abstract and am not saying he’ll be Serge from day one, or might be anytime, but this is what his ceiling and participant comp is. I spoke with Brandon Goble at JUCO suggest, who identified Atiki in Africa and brought him to Canada, and this is who he compared Atiki to. each are an identical in dimension, wingspan and athleticism. Serge can shoot threes now, however he didn’t basically do this in the NBA except four- years in. Atiki isn’t a three-point ballista now, however he has the allocation to potentially strengthen a -element shot through months three or four at BYU.
shooting received’t be his calling agenda with the aid of any skill, but he has the dimension and athleticism to eventually affect the online game with airy and protection the way Ibaka has carried out all the way through his NBA profession.
As explained above, Atiki is a raw participant. I don’t believe he will be part of BYU’s leading rotation firstly and may constantly be at the back of Richard Harward, Gavin Baxter, Fousseyni Traore and Caleb Lohner for frontcourt account, but he will discover his method onto the floor. BYU will comedy teams that are big and Harward and other bigs will get into evil obstacle, with the intention to necessitate Atiki receives on the flooring. He doesn’t need to be a scoring danger, but if he may also be a rim protector and rebound well, again this could division may be successful for him as he learns and develops.
